*Well that feeling of strong, hard, and pumped continues. I am glad it is back. Feels good to be feeling what I did during weeks 1 & 2. Things are definitely starting to kick into over drive. I am very glad to get through that summer crud slump. And I've learned a thing or two about myself.
**Found an elliptical machine that fits my body type. I was surprised that I was able to get 25 minutes in without any aches or pains. Looks like I am learning to tolerate this cardio ****...

Ramblings:

***Body seems to be adapting to the caloric deficit and strength is returning like it was when I was eating everything in sight. Looking back upon the past two weeks, I think I have figured out how to eat without over eating at times. For me, I think the following will work: Breakfast:shake, AM snack: Carrots,apples, nuts, or what ever my daughter is munching on, Lunch: Big meal of the day, PM snack: only if needed, Dinner @ 5:30 or 6 - small portion controlled, W.O @ 6:30 or 7, Post W.O.: shake. Water all day long. This has really helped with the diminished appetite, it's helped me keep my portions in control, and I am finally getting my body some decent nourishment throughout the day.

“Beastmode is when you can not possibly go any further, but then you make a conscious choice to move forward”.

Notes:
*Still feeling good and strong. Went in this evening feeling deflated and came out pumped and feeling good about things.
**Legs tomorrow. Rest Thursday and not sure what Friday may have in store.

Last edited by Colbicide; 07-18-2012 at 01:33 AM.
Reason: Forgot a PR.

“Beastmode is when you can not possibly go any further, but then you make a conscious choice to move forward”.

*PR's in Italics.
**Squats felt really good tonight. Going to increase the weight a little each week so I don't mess the knees up again. You don't know how happy I am that I feel like I can get this back into my routine.
***New eating strategy seems to be paying off. Feeling good throughout the day. Feeling very strong the past few sessions and enjoying myself again.

Ramblings:

Got two encouraging comments at the gym this evening. The first was from the owner. Came by after squats, said hello, and made the polite comment that "It looks like you're turning into a regular around here", shook my hand and walked away. The second comment came from the gym manager. He does his walk-abouts and checks in with everyone and caught me before hitting the 800 presses and calve lifts. He came over to say "thank you". I asked "why". He commented that I was the only person in the gym to use the 100 lbs plates since he moved them from storage to the leg press machines. This just gave me a good chuckle inside.

“Beastmode is when you can not possibly go any further, but then you make a conscious choice to move forward”.

Strength: Amazing. I love feeling strong again. Moved through all the blah and am picking up where I left off back in week 2. And I am doing it with a caloric deficit. In the past, whenever I have lost weight, my strength usually diminishes with it. It's nice to see the weight fall and my strength to continue to improve. The next few weeks should be interesting.

Recovery: Very good. Little or no soreness the following day. The joints are loving me right now and the wrists seem to be healing up pretty quickly. Then again, I’m keeping them wrapped during each workout but the combination of the two has been very beneficial. Rest between sets, even heavy, is very quick.

Pump/Vascularity: Pumps have been out of this world this week. Vascularity has continued to improve and is now sticking around throughout the day. Lots of veins coming through in my legs which has not happened in a long time.

Mood/Aggression: Walking out of the gym with a ****-eating smile is great. The aggression has leveled off but there is definitely an alpha feeling going on all day, not just during my W.O.’s.

Energy/Focus: Has stayed the same since day one and has really made a difference in the way I reflect on things. Not to mention, it’s still helping me get passed my cardio hatred.

Noticeable Changes in Appearance: Vascularity is much more noticeable all over. Legs continue to grow at an obnoxious rate, not sure if the three new pairs of pants are going to fit when the new school year begins. Shoulders look wider than they did before I started.

Libido: Finally, I am starting to feel shut down. Takes a while to get going with the wife and I’m no longer walking around like a horny 20 year old when things first started. PCT starts in a few weeks so I’m not worried. From my personal history, I tend to start feeling pretty normal within the first couple of days. Never tried the TRS stack but if it gets me feeling normal in the first 24 - 48 hours of use, it will live up to my expectations.

Odds ‘N’ Ends: The hour of cardio has been great for self reflections on what I’ve been going through, what I want to accomplish, and what I have accomplished already. So far, I feel that everything – good/bad/in-between – has been completely worth it. Like I stated at the beginning, I am going to bust my ass to earn every single gain I possibly can this summer. And I believe that this stack has definitely supported me and my efforts thus far.

“Beastmode is when you can not possibly go any further, but then you make a conscious choice to move forward”.

*PR's are in italics.
**Still feeling strong and I like it. Wrists have been a bit sore but keeping them wrapped has helped. Still feel like I am in a zone, not trying to really push myself, instead I feel that what I am moving is coming very naturally. And looking at the PR's tonight, I am surprised because I wasn't trying to go there. My goal was to get a good workout in before 10 PM and I knew I was running out of time.
***Hour on the elliptical. Have to say that it's been good on the joints.

“Beastmode is when you can not possibly go any further, but then you make a conscious choice to move forward”.

Notes:
*Craptastic workout this evening. Started with NO focus or drive. And then on the fourth set of incline, my left shoulder had a nice twinge go through it... To say the least, I had to tone everything down as not to make it feel worse.
**Definitely not feeling as strong or focused today. Not sure why.
***Last day of Bulk.
****Not sure if I will make it to the gym tomorrow. Family has plans to head out to the state fair in the evening.

“Beastmode is when you can not possibly go any further, but then you make a conscious choice to move forward”.

*Craptastic workout this evening. Started with NO focus or drive. And then on the fourth set of incline, my left shoulder had a nice twinge go through it... To say the least, I had to tone everything down as not to make it feel worse.
**Definitely not feeling as strong or focused today. Not sure why.

Weather was much better this week than last so the family decided to head out to the state fair. Had a good time but limited myself to 1 king size corndog with the critter. Once we made it back home it was diced chicken salad. Felt much better after eatting them greens, lol.

“Beastmode is when you can not possibly go any further, but then you make a conscious choice to move forward”.

*PR's in italics.
**Still pissed about Monday's workout helped to fuel this one.

Ramblings:

When I started lifting, about age 16, I have always loved leg days. Thing is I've always have had bad knees so squats and I have never seen eye to eye. The past 6 months, I've tried to get them back into my routine only to have a knee or my back complicate things. So to see myself hitting the 315 mark for the first time in at least ten years is a huge boost, even for only two reps. Yea, I do believe I could have gotten another 3-5 reps but I'm at the point that I have learned not to push myself too hard, too fast and just enjoy the little things. Slowing down a tad lets me reflect and set a goal for the next week. I definitely have plans to get that 315 to 5 or 8 reps next week. Though I may have to go a little lighter with the leg presses afterwards. Back to back PR's this evening definitely put some stress on the body. If I am not waddling like a duck by Friday, I may have to to it again!

“Beastmode is when you can not possibly go any further, but then you make a conscious choice to move forward”.

Weather was much better this week than last so the family decided to head out to the state fair. Had a good time but limited myself to 1 king size corndog with the critter. Once we made it back home it was diced chicken salad. Felt much better after eatting them greens, lol.

Strong dedication. I hit those fairs and the like up, and end up putting back about 5k calories for lunch, lol.

When I started lifting, about age 16, I have always loved leg days. Thing is I've always have had bad knees so squats and I have never seen eye to eye. The past 6 months, I've tried to get them back into my routine only to have a knee or my back complicate things. So to see myself hitting the 315 mark for the first time in at least ten years is a huge boost, even for only two reps. Yea, I do believe I could have gotten another 3-5 reps but I'm at the point that I have learned not to push myself too hard, too fast and just enjoy the little things. Slowing down a tad lets me reflect and set a goal for the next week. I definitely have plans to get that 315 to 5 or 8 reps next week. Though I may have to go a little lighter with the leg presses afterwards. Back to back PR's this evening definitely put some stress on the body. If I am not waddling like a duck by Friday, I may have to to it again!

As I've gotten older and no longer recover like I use to backing off on training has been a hard lesson to learn but if I want to keep weights in my life I have to do it. It's good that you listen to your body no point in injuring yourself and then being hurt to the point that you can't train at all.